Not Like This
by PugNTurtle
Summary: The happiness of pregnancy is tarnished when a hostage situation threatens the ER. Susan, Chuck, Kerry, Abby, Sam, Luka
1. Chapter 1

Title: Not Like This  
  
Author: Katie  
  
E-mail: PugNTurtle@comcast.net  
  
Disclaimer: ER and its character's belong to NBC and Warner Brothers and a whole bunch of other people. No harm is intended.  
  
Rating: R (language, violence)  
  
Spoilers: Secrets and Lies, Season 10  
  
Summary: The happiness of pregnancy is tarnished when a hostage situation threatens the ER.  
  
Pairings/Characters/Category: Susan/Chuck, Luka/Sam, Kerry, Abby  
  
Notes: Congrats to Sherry Stringfield on her pregnancy! Here's my take on what the season finale should be. Enjoy! As usual, feedback is appreciated but not begged for. It's not in my character.  
  
~/~  
  
She lay on the couch, a long strand of blonde hair resting against her forehead. It had obviously strayed away from the loose ponytail gathered at the nape of her neck. He seriously hated to disturb her. She looked so peaceful, her white lab coat covering her chest and stomach. Still, the rounded stomach of Susan Lewis was easy to see. The eight and a half month pregnant doctor was stretched on the couch, her head resting against a pillow, one knee bent up, her flat, black shoes kicked off, resting on the floor. One hand was resting, almost as a sign of protection, on her stomach, the other flung out into the open air, her graceful fingers curled slightly. Remembering the reason he was there, Luka Kovac tore his eyes away from the woman and cleared his throat softly.  
  
"Susan," he said in a low voice, not wanting to scare her out of her slumber.  
  
"Mmm?" she inquired, the agitation evident in her mumbled response at being waken.  
  
"Susan, you need to get up," Luka said gently, shaking her shoulder slightly, praying that she wasn't moody when she woke up and wouldn't hit him.  
  
"Says who?" she asked sleepily, nonetheless forcing her eyes open.  
  
"Sorry, but Weaver told me to get you. We're picking up pace out there and we need you," Luka said apologetically. "I told her we could handle it, but- "  
  
"No big deal, Luka," Susan said, stifling a yawn as she struggled to sit up. She was surprised when Luka grabbed her hand, helping her into a sitting position. "Thanks," she said. "It's getting harder and harder to stand up."  
  
"No problem," Luka said. "I remember my wife slept a lot as well." Susan looked at him, somewhat apprehensive about him talking about his family. She remembered his reaction about talking about when he lost his virginity on his wedding night when they were forced to attend that sexual harassment course. The tears were evident that night, and the last thing Susan needed was to see him cry. Her emotions were already out of whack. Seeing the look on her face, he said, "It's okay, though. Good memories."  
  
"Yeah," Susan replied, still unsure of the conversation, sighing as she picked up her shoe.  
  
"I've got it," Luka said softly, taking the show from her hands. Before Susan could protest, Luka knelt down and slid the shoe on her foot, tying the laces.  
  
"My feet are so swollen," Susan complained lightly. Luka ducked his head, hiding his amusement, instead concentrating on tying the shoe and picking up the other one, rather than pointing out that he knew she was full of it, that Susan enjoyed every bit of carrying a child. He had seen it with his wife. Despite the pain, there was something incredible about carrying a baby. It made the pain worth it.  
  
"That isn't too tight, is it?" Luka asked, breaking himself away from his thoughts.  
  
"No, it's perfect. You've had practice, obviously," Susan replied, softly, her tone joking. "You ready to face the zoo?"  
  
"Always," Luka replied. He extended his hand to help her up, which Susan gratefully accepted.  
  
She smiled as she stood, the stiffness in her back subsiding slightly at the movement. "Oh, she's kicking again," Susan said excitedly. The baby was responding to the fact that her mother moved. She placed a hand over her stomach, a look of amazement coming over her face. Susan was used to the kicking by now, but it never failed to excite her each time. Luka grinned, a wide smile that showed how happy he was for her. Seeing the look on his face, Susan asked, "Do you want to touch?"  
  
Surprised at her sudden question, Luka nodded. He placed his hand on her stomach, feeling the smooth curvature for a few moments before resting his hand at the center of her stomach, waiting a minute. Sure enough, he felt a kick against his hand. Unconsciously, he smiled again, the dreamy and wistful look on his face evident.  
  
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Susan asked, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. Whether it was the joy of becoming a mother or just wacky hormones, she wasn't sure, but being pregnant was sure causing Susan's hormones to act crazy. Even the littlest things made her cry. She couldn't help but think of poor Abby, who had experienced her emotional outburst first hand. When they went clothes shopping, Susan had seen a tiny pair of sneakers and burst into tears. Still, Abby was great, talking to her, reminding her it was completely normal.  
  
"Yeah," Luka agreed. They stood in silence for a minute, not wanting to break the peaceful silence that fell upon them.  
  
The door opened, and Chuck entered the room. "Hey, Suz, Luka," he said in greeting when he saw the two. The two looked at him from their position in the center of the room. Luka gestured him over with his free hand. "Is she kicking again?" asked Chuck, a wide smile spreading over his face.  
  
"Yeah," Susan said.  
  
Luka removed his hand, somewhat reluctantly, and allowed Susan's husband to rub her stomach gently. "How's my little baby love?" Chuck cooed, bending down to kiss Susan's stomach.  
  
Seeing the somewhat amused look on Luka's face, Susan explained, "I think Chuck's more excited than I am. The nursery was completed four months ago."  
  
"Yeah, well, I want our little girl to be proud of her Papa," Chuck said, rubbing his nose against her stomach before straightening up. He stood next to Susan, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closely to him, as if to protect her from anything potentially harmful.  
  
"Do you have a name picked out yet?" Luka asked as they headed to the door.  
  
"Lilian. Lilian Michele," Susan answered, not paying attention as she covered the hand resting on her hip and giving it a small squeeze.  
  
"Wow, that's a beautiful name," Luka said truthfully as he opened the door.  
  
"Thanks," Susan replied as she walked through the door, only to stop abruptly, Chuck nearly running into her back at the sudden stop in action.  
  
"Susan, baby?" Chuck asked, confused as to why she stopped so suddenly. His heart nearly caught at what he saw. "Shit," he murmured, the expletive loud against the deafening silence. A crazed man stood in front of the admit desk, clutching an obviously scared yet still pissed off Kerry Weaver to his chest, holding a gun firmly pressed to her temple. Her crutch lay on the floor, unnoticed by the gunman. Abby Lockhart, Sam Taggart, and Greg Pratt all stood behind the counter, the fear obvious on their faces.  
  
The gunman's wild eyes swung over to the Susan, Luka, and Chuck. They stood motionless, shocked at the scene, but still he yelled, "Don't move! Don't move or I'll blow her fucking brains out!" 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all for the feedback!  
  
Sorry it took so long but real life calls first.  
  
~/~  
  
"Don't fucking move!" The gunman repeated his threat, pressing the gun harder into Kerry's temple. The small woman winced in pain. She tried to move her head away from him, but the tall man had his arm wrapped around her throat, holding Kerry tightly to his chest, his wild eyes swinging over the ER.  
  
Susan met the Kerry's eyes, the unspoken question hanging in the air. Kerry blinked quickly, letting Susan know that she was all right. Susan let out a slow breath, glancing around the ER. Surprisingly, the area was empty albeit the nurses and doctors whom the man had the gun trained on. Susan wasn't sure if the patients had run or it was just empty to begin with. More than likely they had run, Susan reasoned; after all, Luka had been sent to get her because they were becoming busier.  
  
"You three. Move over here." The command was directed toward Susan, Luka, and Chuck. Susan swallowed, her knees weak. She felt the gentle pressure of Chuck's hand on her back, a somewhat reassuring gesture, considering the grave situation.  
  
Susan forced her legs to move, and she walked toward the admit area. Chuck walked next to her, his fingers interlacing with hers on instinct. Luka moved behind the two, his moves cautious but alert.  
  
"Get over there," the gunman ordered. Susan moved behind the admit desk, Chuck and Luka mirroring her actions, and she leaned against the wooden counter, the ledge pressing into her already sore back. She placed a hand over her stomach, unconsciously rubbing her stomach. Her daughter kicked, and Susan feared for the tiny life that was inside her.  
  
"Sit down," the gunman ordered, shoving Kerry away from him in one swift move. She was surprised at the sudden move, losing her balance. Luka caught the small woman so she would not hit the ground.  
  
"Are you all right?" Luka whispered, helping Kerry to sit on the ground.  
  
Kerry nodded, then replied, "He ambushed me, Luka. He grabbed me before I could do anything."  
  
"It's okay, Kerry," Luka said squeezing her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner before letting go and sitting down. He glanced over and saw that Sam had sat down next to him. Not thinking, he reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "We're going to be okay," Luka told her. Sam nodded, hoping that Luka was right.  
  
Chuck helped Susan to sit, kneeling in front of her. "Are you okay, baby?" Chuck asked, placing a hand on her knee, ignoring the heated glare the gunman was giving him.  
  
"I think so, Chuck," Susan replied nervously. Chuck nodded, looking into her eyes to make sure she was telling the truth. He nodded, only semi satisfied, before turning his attention to the gunman.  
  
"Look, man, what do you want with us?" Chuck spoke up.  
  
"Chuck," Susan whispered urgently, tugging at his hand. She didn't want the man to become angry or violent.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough, buddy," the gunman said.  
  
"Will you tell us your name at least?" Chuck asked, using a soothing tone.  
  
The gunman stared long and hard at the flight nurse before replying gruffly, "Josh. Josh Henderson."  
  
"Okay. Josh," Chuck said. "Josh, I know you are angry, but please listen to reason. As soon as the paramedics realize that they cannot get into the ER they are going to call the police. When the police are brought in, there will be major trouble. So why don't you just walk away and let us all go?"  
  
Josh stared at Chuck before swiftly moving to stand over him. Without warning, the gunman lifted his foot and kicked Chuck hard in the abdomen. Chuck moaned in pain and doubled over, only to have the gunman strike him again.  
  
"No!" Susan screamed, moving to sit up, hoping to protect her husband.  
  
"Don't even think about it, lady!" Josh yelled, pointing the gun at Susan.  
  
The blonde doctor swallowed her fear and looked him directly in the eye, trying to ignore the barrel in her face, her hand immediately going to her stomach. "Please," Susan pleaded softly. "Don't hurt my husband."  
  
The gunman moved swiftly to stand over Susan, gripping her jaw tightly with one hand and pushing the gun against her temple. Susan winced, her instincts telling her to look away but not knowing not to look away from the deranged man. "You tell your husband to sit back and shut the fuck up, then. I would hate to see your baby grow up without a father," Josh sneered, lowering his head to kiss her on the lips.  
  
Susan jerked her head away, fixing Josh with a deadly stare. The gunman met her stare, though with a semi amused look. He stood up and looked at Abby. "You," he said, pointing to her with the gun.  
  
Abby jumped, and asked timidly, "Yes?"  
  
"Lock the doors," Josh ordered. "And don't even think about making a run for it or the pregnant doctor here will die."  
  
Abby nodded, standing up slowly. She met Kerry's eyes, seeking approval from the older doctor. Kerry nodded her head, a gesture that told Abby to follow the man's directions. Kerry looked at Susan, a wave of concern washing over her features when she saw Susan rubbing her jaw and tending to Chuck.  
  
She moved her gaze from the married couple to Abby, who was moving quickly throughout the ER locking doors and entrances. Kerry took a sharp intake of breath when she saw that paramedics were rolling up with a victim. Abby met their eyes through the glass window. Kerry could see Abby mouth the word gunman, and the man immediately turned away.  
  
"What's taking you so long, honey?" asked Josh lazily, holding the gun carelessly. Susan grimaced, knowing that the weapon could go off at any point.  
  
"No-nothing," Abby stammered, turning away from the door after locking it. Meeting Susan's eyes, Abby gave her a ghost of a smile, hoping to reassure Susan.  
  
Susan breathed deeply, trying to control her nausea. The last thing she wanted to do was anger Josh by getting sick; not that it was her fault or anything. She felt Chuck's hand wrap around hers, his grip somewhat reassuring. Susan leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder. She felt Chuck's chin come down to rest on her the top of her head.  
  
"Are you okay?" Chuck asked, his whisper barely audible.  
  
Susan nodded against his shoulder, then whispered, "You?"  
  
She felt him shake his head, his soft words causing her heart to flutter.  
  
"Not until you're safe."  
  
~/~  
  
End Part 2 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

DRAMATIC GASP!

Yes, Not Like This is finally being updated. I apologize for the extremely long wait, but real life comes before fanfiction, unfortunately, despite the fact I wish it were the other way around! I am student teaching in January, but I will try to update again before then.

Thank you all for patiently waiting and all of the wonderful and encouraging reviews. I hope this was worth it.

Please provide feedback, positive or negative. I won't beg, though. It's not in my character!

The phone rang, the entire room jumping at the shrill sound in the quiet room. Josh Henderson, however, looked at the phone as if the noise was the most annoying thing possible.

The phone continued ringing, and Susan couldn't help but wonder if he was even thinking of answering it. The ringing stopped, and Susan let out a slow breath. Her daughter was kicking once again. _It's gonna be okay, baby girl, _she thought to herself, running a hand slowly over her stomach.

She glanced at Chuck, giving him a small smile as his eyes asked the question his mouth dare not speak. She nodded, answering his unasked question of whether she was okay. Chuck squeezed her hand in support, refusing to let go of the grip that they had locked together as soon as Josh had began pacing about an hour ago.

The blonde doctor glanced around the room, looking at each of her colleagues. Abby was sitting next to Kerry, looking worried as she watched Josh. The older doctor was leaning against the cabinet, her metal crutch lying abandoned a few feet away. The leg she favored with the crutch was out in front of her, and Susan couldn't help but wonder if her leg was bothering her. Sitting in that position could not be good for Kerry, but her face was set in a hard glare as she shot angry looks at Josh, who was sitting at the counter with his feet propped up. A bruise was forming on her temple where the gunman had pressed the gun against her head only an hour ago, the dark mark already visible against her fair skin.

Pratt was also glaring at Josh, though he did not dare say a word or make a sudden move. His unprovoked attack on Chuck had certainly shut the brash young doctor's mouth, at least for the moment. She glanced from Pratt to Josh. She wanted desperately to glance at Sam and Luka, but they were out of her line of vision, and unless she wanted to risk being shot, she wasn't about to turn her head to look at the pair. She only hoped that they were both okay, albeit scared.

The shrill ringing of the phone once again caused everyone to jump. Josh, however, simply glared at the phone. The phone continued ringing, the only sound in the room until Luka spoke up.

"They're gonna keep calling, you know," he said quietly, not wanting to startle the gunman anymore than he already was.

"So?"

"So, unless you want them to come bursting in here with stun guns and tear gas and Lord only knows what else, then I'd answer that phone. Let them know what you want, and see if you can make a deal," Luka suggested.

The phone stopped ringing as Josh stared at Luka. "What I want," he said slowly, advancing on Luka, "Is for each one of you to shut the fuck up and let me think. If you can't do that, then I'll blow each one of your brains out, starting with the pregnant one and her smart mouthed husband over there. Got it?"

Luka nodded as Susan swallowed. Josh was aimlessly waving his gun around, obviously not caring if it went off and struck someone. Susan felt Chuck squeeze her hand once again, attempting to reassure her despite the grave situation.

The phone rang once again, this time not startling anyone outright. Josh, however, let out a growl of rage, aiming his gun at the phone and shattering it into pieces. "God damn it!" he swore. He pointed the gun upward, shooting at the ceiling. A light fixture broke, sending tiny shards down on Abby and Kerry. They covered their heads in instinct, jumping when Josh yelled at them not to move.

The room was slightly darker, but Susan could still see the anger in Josh's eyes. She wondered why in the world he was doing this, but seeing his short temper, she hesitated to ask. When the time came and he wanted to talk, he would.

Susan tensed as Lilian shifted positions. She did not tense from pain, though. It was to where her daughter shifted that made Susan want to groan loudly.

She already had to go to the bathroom before this ordeal started, and her daughter was now pressed directly against her bladder.

John Carter walked toward the ER, whistling a tune softly. It was about time he was returning to the ER. After his and Kem's baby had died, Weaver had told him to take an involuntary month of leave at least, if not more. John and Kem had traveled to Africa, providing their help where they could in the foreign country to aid injured and sick people.

This was his first day back, and John couldn't help but be a little excited. As obnoxious as the patients were at times, and despite the fights he sometimes had with fellow doctors, this was still the place he had grown up in.

Carter frowned as he approached. The numerous flashing lights caught his attention. Granted, this was the ER, and patients were brought in constantly. However, the red and blue lights flashing on the walls gave him a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. There were way too many lights and the crime scene tape and police barriers only made the feeling in his stomach worse.

"Excuse me," John called, approaching the barrier, his ID out in his palm. "I'm a doctor here. Can you tell me what's going on?"

An officer glanced at his badge, then said gruffly, "Some wacko with a gun took the place over about an hour and a half ago. A nurse or a doctor or someone mouthed the word 'gunman' to a paramedic, who radioed for police. We've tried calling, but he won't answer the phone. We think he just shot the phone, though, because we heard two gunshots and the line is now busy."

"Is anyone hurt?"

"We don't know. We have no means of communication. The fiber optic team is working on drilling a small hole so we can at least hear what is going on in there," the officer answered apologetically. "Is there any way you can tell us who is in there?"

Carter thought for a minute, then said, "I believe that Kerry Weaver, Greg Pratt, Susan Lewis, Luka Kovac, Abby Lockhart, and Sam Taggart were all scheduled to work. Other than them, I don't know. This is my first day back."

"Does anyone have any medical problems we should be aware of?"

"Uh, Kerry uses a crutch to walk. We don't know why, but she can't walk without it… and Susan is eight months pregnant," Carter replied, ignoring the tug in his stomach as he mentioned his friend's pregnancy.

"Okay, thank you," the officer said, rushing off to share this information with his boss. Carter sighed, folding his arms in front of his chest, staring at the hospital.

"Crazy, isn't it?" A soft voice broke John out of his thoughts. He looked over, and saw Haleh Adams looking up at him.

"Yeah, crazy," Carter replied, sighing as he glanced back at the hospital. "I just wish we could do something."

"We can pray," Haleh suggested softly, taking John's hand in his own. The doctor nodded, closing his eyes as Haleh began praying softly.

Susan winced, gritting her teeth as her daughter pressed up against her bladder. She sighed softly, wondering if she was about to get herself killed by doing what she was thinking of doing.

"Excuse me," she called softly, startling everyone in the room, including Josh.

"What?" the gunman asked roughly, glaring at Susan.

"I hate to be a pain in the ass, but I really have to go to the bathroom. The baby is pressing against my bladder, and I feel as if I am about to explode," Susan pleaded softly, not wanting to annoy Josh but also trying to let him hear the desperation in her voice. That was almost as painful as the pressure on her bladder; having to ask a man to go to the bathroom really hurt Susan's pride.

Josh stared at Susan hard, then finally growled, "Go." Susan was surprised he agreed, and hesitated standing up. "Go, I said," Josh yelled, causing the blonde to jump. She struggled to stand, glancing helplessly at Chuck.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. You help her," he said gesturing to Sam.

Sam jumped as the gunman pointed to her. Not wanting to anger him even more than he already was, Sam got up quickly, walking over to Susan. She stuck her hand down, helping the older woman to stand then steady herself. "You okay?" Sam whispered, seeing the exhaustion in Susan's eyes.

"Yeah. I knew I should have gone on leave at eight months," Susan said softly. Sam fought back a smile. Despite the grave situation, Susan still had her sarcastic sense of humor.

"Are you going to go today, or do I have to shoot you?" Josh asked lazily.

Susan glanced back at him, then murmured, "I'm going, I'm going. Sam squeezed her shoulder before moving to sit again next to Luka. He smiled gently at her, reaching over to touch the young nurse's hand briefly before folding his hands in his lap once again.

She began the slow trek to the bathroom, rolling her eyes as Josh called behind her, "If you're not back in five minutes, I'm gonna kill someone. Don't even think of doing anything funny!"

She was annoyed, but unfortunately, she knew he probably would kill someone. The man was unstable, and there was nothing she could do about it.

End Part 3


End file.
